Abnormal Psychology Fall 2018:

For your mid-term project in Abnormal Psychology, choose any set of behaviors that have been
at some time, or still are, considered abnormal. The following are some examples to choose from
but you can also select any other as long as it meets the criteria on the grading rubric and
described below.
 Hallucinations or visions
 Homosexuality
 Non-binary (other than male/female) gender expressions
 Subversions of social authority
o Political activism
o Distribution of subversive information
 The use of mind altering substances
o Alcohol use
o Drugs
o Entheogens
 Anti-social tendencies
o Hermitage
o Autism
 Eating disorders
o Anorexia
o Bulimia
o Fasting
 Personality disorders
o Antisocial personality disorder
o Avoidant personality disorder
o Histrionic personality disorder
o Narcissistic personality disorder
o Schizotypal personality disorder
 Extreme mood expressions
o Depressive disorder
o Manic episodes
 Anxiety disorders and phobias
o Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
o Phobias
o Social anxiety disorder
o Obsessive-compulsive disorder
 Neurodevelopmental disorders
o Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD)
o Intellectual disorders
o Communication disorders
 Stress and trauma related disorders
o Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

o Reactive Attachment Disorder
o Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder
o Acute Stress Disorder

After you have identified and clearly described a certain set of behaviors, you are expected to
write a detailed research paper on the history of how these behaviors have been understood
differently across time and/or throughout different parts of the world. You should also overview
how these behaviors have been treated by doctors, psychologists, and/or other community
leaders throughout time. For this you will want to include, at least, the following elements:
(a) Overview the time period when, or the current location where, the set of behaviors
you are studying were first classified as an individual abnormality. Was this done
primarily for religious, medical, or other social reasons? What else is important about
the society and/or culture in which this occurred?
(b) Overview some time periods when, or a geographical locations where, the set of
behaviors you are studying were not considered an individual abnormality. How were
the behaviors understood differently? Were there social or other religious meanings
attached to the behaviors? What was unique about these contexts that produced a
different understanding of such a set of behaviors?
(c) Identify and describe at least three different forms of treatment that have been used
throughout time to change these behaviors. At least one of these should be some form
of biological or medical intervention (e.g., pharmaceutical, surgical, electrical, etc.).
The other two should be non-biological interventions (e.g., psychotherapies,
community approaches, religious rituals, etc.). You should also explain to what extent
these treatments were successful in changing the behaviors and whether they have
been associated with long-term side effects that are detrimental to the health of the
person receiving them.

Your paper must be at least 5 pages long, not including a title page, abstract, or reference page.
Of these three, only a reference page is required; however, you can include the other two if you
wish. Either way, the entire paper should be formatted in APA style. You must include at least
three sources, two of which must be sources other than those found on CourseDen. These
sources must either be peer-reviewed academic articles/books, or first-hand accounts of someone
who displayed the behaviors you are studying and received treatment for them. This can include
an auto-biography, a blog, a video blog, or interview transcript you find online. A third-hand
account, such as a biography or case study, about someone who has displayed these behaviors
would not qualify as a first-hand account, but if it is published in an academic article you can cite
it as an academic source.
More details, as well as the due date for the project, can be found on the course syllabus and
schedule.